December 2021

Earlier in the month we were busy motivating our seniors to find their energy and enthusiasm to complete their supplemental essays and submit their apps; all this while many students received decisions from the first round of applications. Some of our students have received some absolutely amazing offers, some have been deferred, and we heard of a few denials, all of which is very normal. We have also been attending webinars, information sessions, and scanning reports and trends in the admission cycle.

A momentous announcement came from Smith College about the elimination of loans from their financial aid packages. Money continues to be a consideration for colleges and universities, and they are starting to act on this more with increased transparency, but there is still a long way for them to go to improve.

Interesting updates with the Common App releasing data on early applications from this fall cycle also came out this month. In the changing landscape of testing, students who reported test scores sent them to the “more selective" colleges, indicative of the pressure on students to share test scores even in a test-optional environment. 

For your reading pleasure, here are some articles we read this month which we found helpful:

• Former Stanford admissions officer: ‘Well-rounded is not enough’—here’s how to really stand out
• Inside college merit aid — and the manipulative, lucrative system that keeps it running
• Dean of Admission Logan Powell speaks to UCS about legacy, first-generation applicants; a publication from Brown University.

And lastly, we hope you all had a restful break and wish you the best for 2022.